Blog
Welcome to my blog posts about work, ecology, conservation…..
I am a totally Independent Ecologist and Protected Species Consultant working in the Lake District and Cumbria.
For impartial advice on all aspects of ecology and for further details please email me andrew@forktail.co.uk (I struggle to manage mobile calls in the field, so don’t be surprised if I don’t answer my mobile 07880700313.
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In the late 1980s I travelled to Thailand and abroad for the first time. As I leafed through the field guide before the trip, one species immediately caught my eye: the Greater Painted Snipe. It looked so different from the other waders, almost exotic, and I was determined to see one. Sadly, that first visit…
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Despite how prominent they look, an owl’s ear tufts have nothing to do with hearing. Their primary role is visual: when an owl is perched, raised ear tufts help break up its outline and can resemble twigs or broken branches, improving camouflage and reducing the chance of being detected by predators or mobbing birds. Ear…
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There’s something quietly majestic about a flock of swans settling on a wetland at dusk, their long necks curved like the finest calligraphy against a grey winter sky. For decades, Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) have been one of those signature winter sights in the UK, touching down here each year after an astonishing journey…
Andrew Chick Ecology 